Finasteride is the main and active ingredient of two medications made by the pharmaceutical giant, Merck, for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and male pattern baldness. However, for both conditions, there is a slight difference in dosage between them and should never be confused with. For people who buy branded medications, it is unlikely that they will confuse both with each other because they use their trade names on the branding of each particular drug. Proscar is the brand name for the drug meant for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia, and Propecia is the brand name for the drug meant for treating male pattern baldness.

For people who buy drugs under their generic names, it is possible that they may get confused with it because the identifying difference between the two drugs is only the finasteride dosage. For the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, the finasteride dosage is 5mg. On the other hand, for the treatment of male pattern baldness, the finasteride dosage is 1mg. This means that you either get a finasteride 5mg or a finasteride 1mg. Both finasteride dosage drugs have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for their intended treatment.

The finasteride dosage of 1mg was actually only a secondary product as Merck was not aware that the drug they created for the treatment of enlarged prostates was actually also useful in treating androgenic alopecia. It was only during the testing phase of the finasteride dosage of 5mg that the beneficial side effect was uncovered. Participants of the clinical testing who also happened to have the balding condition reported of noticeable improvements in their hair line and decreased hair fall. The reported improvement was not a mere isolated case as many of those who participated in the testing also reported of such. Through the reported side effect, Merck conducted its own research on what seems to be the breakthrough in hair loss treatment for men.

Through the investigation of Merck, they began to understand the mechanism of action of finasteride and why it is very effective in treating hair loss conditions. Further scrutiny gave the researchers at Merck that the proper finasteride dosage when it comes to treating male pattern baldness is significantly lower than their original prostate treatment drug.

The discovery of finasteride as a hair loss treatment was actually revolutionary as most hair loss treatments only came in the form of topical ointments, sprays, creams, or shampoo, whereas finasteride cam in the form of a pill. Do date, this is the only hair loss treatment that comes in the form of a medication and that it treats hair fall condition from within the system, hormonally. Others, they simply attempt to treat on the outside. They basically simply attempt to dowse the flame, whereas finasteride extinguishes the fuel source. This concept is in essence a more effective method of treating androgenic alopecia. Should you have any of the two conditions that finasteride can treat and want to buy your medication in generic, simply make sure that you do not get confused with the two finasteride dosage.